Beed constable celebrates day with sister for the first time, says he understands all her pains as he was brought up like a girl
Elder sister Anita Salve and cousin Sony Salve tie rakhis to Lalit on Sunday
After 29 years of tying a rakhi on his brothers' wrists, Lalit Salve was in tears as his sister tied one on his forearm for the first time. This is the first Raksha Bandhan the Beed constable has celebrated with his family since his genital reconstruction surgery and transformation from Lalita to Lalit in May.
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Born with an underdeveloped penis, Lalit had been wrongly identified as female at birth. The intersex Beed resident was brought up as a girl and would tie a rakhi to his two brothers every year on Raksha Bandhan. Secretly though, he dreamed of the day his sister would tie him one.
Yesterday, that dream of nearly three decades finally came true. "I always knew that I was a man, but my sister never tied a rakhi to me. We would always tie rakhis to our two brothers together. So, today, when I saw that she brought three rakhis, I could not control my emotions," said Lalit, speaking to mid-day from Beed.
A first for his sister too
It was an emotional day for elder sister Anita, too, as she tied rakhis to three brothers for the first time. Anita, 32, had been waiting for years for this moment. "I have no words to express my happiness. Now, I have three brothers to stand beside me. This Raksha Bandhan will always be special to me," she told this reporter.
Dressed in blue T-shirt and jeans, tears rolled down Lalit's face as she tied a golden rakhi on his wrist. He quipped, "Now, I have to protect my sister and be her shield, which will be a new responsibility. Also, I won't get Raksha Bandhan gifts anymore."
Long struggle
For Lalit, this day arrived after a long struggle that lasted months, after he first petitioned the police top brass for permission to undergo a genital reconstruction surgery and be allowed to resume his job as a male constable.
As this paper had reported, he underwent the surgery in May at St George hospital, and officially became Lalit. Dr Rajat Kapoor, a plastic surgeon treating Lalit, reconstructed his penis and elongated it. The surgical team also provided a conduit to help him urinate like a man, although it will require another surgery before the work is complete. The next phase of the reconstructive surgery will use the soft tissue from the inside of his cheek, which will be grafted on the penis.
Also Read: Lalit Salve's Stay Inspires Intersex Ward At St George Hospital
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